Metamorphosis
by Esotherica
Summary: Will Katherine's life change, once a mysterious stranger appears? Loki/OFC (Action takes place before everything, that happened in movie "Thor")
1. Chapter 1

_Chapter 1_

It was 3 o'clock in the morning, and I was already awake, sitting in my tiny kitchen, smoking a cigarette and waiting for the water to boil. It's been like this for past couple of weeks – I couldn't sleep more than 2-3 hours and it was driving me crazy. I tried talking about it with Josh, but he would just shrug his shoulders and murmur that I need to see a „specialist".

We've been living together for less than three months and it already felt ages. Jill would always say that I settle down for incredibly boring men, usually accountants or bank tellers, men that work all day and what they need at home is hot dinner and a woman who cleans after them. And that was true, ever since Josh and I moved in together, I was more of a housewife than a lover; and we never talked anymore, or went to movies or romantic dinners, our life was a monotony of work and television, and sometimes really tedious sex. I knew it wasn't right, but I blamed him and our life together for my lack of sleep, and lack of life joy in general.

I snapped out of my thoughts when I heard doors of the bathroom closing, Josh was a light sleeper and every sound would wake him up. I stood up to pour water in my mug, cursing under my nose, since I knew what was coming. He was a good man, but more than anything he loved to reproach everything I did, giving a biggest monologue with a little smile on his lips, trying to make me feel guilty, and let me tell you, it worked miracles.

I heard him flush the water, as I sat on the counter again, sipping my coffee and staring into the wall. After a minute he was already there, leaning against the doorframe and looking at me.

"Kat, you should close the door next time" he said, smiling. I was under the impression he tried to reason with me like people do with little children, as I could snap any second and start crying or screaming, or both. "You know I have a very busy day tomorrow, and then there's that dinner with Mr. Dillingham, I can't show up with black circles under my eyes."

I just sat there looking at him. Every time I would wonder, what did I actually see in this man that made me fall in love with him so fast? Off course, it was comfortable living with him - we never argued too much or had any major disagreements, but it was mostly because we didn't have time or desire to talk about things that matter. And all I saw now was a little chubby person in his not-so-white-anymore boxers, a complete stranger that I tried to love again, but simply couldn't.

"Sorry" I murmured finally "I thought I wasn't making so much noise".

"And I think we agreed that you would quit smoking, or at least in this house. I despise the smell, and it's not good for your health" He still went on about that. It was so easy for Josh to judge, since he had never smoked, or drank coffee or had any other little or big addictions in his perfect life.

"Why don't you just go back to bed, Josh?" I was too tired to talk about this, that's how I felt all the time. He stood there for a second, his eyes steady on mine, waiting for an apology or some sort of answer, but I wasn't ready to give him one and so he turned around and left. I heard him slam the bedroom door, as I sighed and lit another cigarette.

—

"Katherine Nolan, are you even listening?" I heard Jill's angry voice that made me raise my head and look at her.

"Sorry Jill" I muttered under my breath and took a sip of coffee. "I didn't get much sleep tonight. What were you saying?"

"Seriously, Kat, you should see a doctor. How long is this going on for? More than two weeks? It's crazy!" She shook her head and her expression changed from anger to worry. "Well, then I have an idea just for you. We are going to France for a week, me and Daniel, and I was wondering if you and Josh want to join us."

Daniel was her boyfriend for more than three years now and I always was jealous of their relationship. I wanted that passion and mutual goals, and the ability to finish each other's sentences. They had it all and it was perfect. Maybe I was trying to hard to make my life at least a little bit more like Jill's, that's why I jumped in relationships too fast and they all failed.

"I'm leaving him, Jill" I said finally. She heard this sentence so many times; even I couldn't remember the number anymore. "It's not working. And I don't want for it to work anymore."

It was always her, who has been there for me every time I decided to end my horrible relationships. I remember how many tears I shed over Chris and Matt, and Niall; how we used to sit on my kitchen floor, drinking tequila, cursing men and promising each other, that we will change something in our lives. Well, she felt in love with Daniel and I… I just stopped complaining and crying, and the most important thing – I lost hope that something would ever change.

"I wouldn't say I'm surprised" she finally spoke slowly "But may I ask why?"

"It's gone, Jill. Everything is gone: our passion and romance, sparkles and rainbows. There's nothing, we don't even talk anymore. He's a good man, but that's not enough" I felt like crying, because whatever happened, I still had some kind of feelings for him. I just couldn't fight anymore, and he had no interest to do that either.

Jill sat there, looking at me with a hint of sadness. Over those five years of bad luck she said it all, there was nothing more to add, and I appreciated the fact that she didn't try to change my mind.

"Maybe I'm doing it all wrong" I said finally, when I was sure that tears won't start rolling down my cheeks "I'm looking for someone safe, maybe too safe. And it always ends up like this."

"So you're saying that now you will go for and unemployed artist, who lives in the attic, smokes pot, has tattoos all over his body and disappears wherever he wants, whenever he wants?" Jill raised her eyebrow, and I knew that it was her expression of _"are you fucking kidding me, woman?"_

I just sat there silent, because I had no idea what I wanted. I knew that it was something different,_someone _different. I looked around the coffee shop; it was quite crowded as always at this time of the day - people went there during their lunch breaks, and so did we. A man sitting few tables away caught my attention. Although he had his back on us, I felt some kind of vibe from him. I examined whatever was there to see, and caught myself thinking of how stunning his hair was – shoulder-length, thick, shiny and black as a raven.

"No, someone like him" I said suddenly, pointing at the same guy. I had no idea why I chose him as an example, but at that moment it just seemed right. Jill turned around to look at him, and I could swear, that he moved his head a little bit too, as he could hear us talking. It was impossible, off course, I was pretty silent and people around us were talking really loud. But that gave me a chance to appreciate his profile. I had to admit, he was really attractive for a blind pick – high cheekbones, sharp chin, beautifully defined nose and a faint smile on his lips was simply charming.

"Why him?" Jill asked finally looking back at me "I have to admit, he's attractive and all. But why him?"

"I don't know, Jill" I said laughing for the first time today "It's just an example, that maybe the man I'm looking for is not a result of mathematical equations and speculations of how good he might or might not be."

I shifted my head to look again, but he wasn't there anymore. I felt a bit disappointed, and that was surprising, since I had no intentions to go and try to make a contact with him anyway.

"Time to run, Kat" I heard Jill saying as she stood up and went through her bag looking for money "Mr. Tandler won't be very happy if we're late again."

I couldn't help but feel disappointed, though the thought of having to listen to Tandler going on and on about our attitude pushed that feeling away. We stepped out of the coffee shop and started running towards our building, as it stated to rain heavily out of nowhere.


	2. Chapter 2

_Chapter 2_

I stayed late at work that day, as my mind was still tormented by my decision. The more I thought about my life with Josh, the harder it got to say _goodbye_ to everything once again. We had really beautiful moments together and he wasn't as bad as I portrayed him, and so I decided not to act hastily and think it all over again. It was Friday and I knew that Josh will be at his sister's house for a weekend, and that gave me some time to evaluate the situation.

Time flew really fast and when I finally glanced at the clock, it was 11pm already. Cursing loudly, as no one was in the office anymore; I threw all the things to my purse and ran outside, locking the doors behind me and walking swiftly to the bus stop. The weather was really windy, and I thanked God that at least it wasn't raining anymore. The stop was couple of blocks down a really dark street, and even if it was a quiet neighborhood, at this hour I couldn't help but feel anxious. Whether it was because of my exhaustion or my paranoia, I could swear I heard footsteps behind and it made me look over my shoulder couple of times just to make sure that no one was there.

I was one block away as the footsteps grew louder and I actually felt someone's presence behind me, there was someone breathing down my neck. I turned around really fast stumbling a bit and almost fell to the ground. As I stood there, scanning every inch of the street and breathing heavily, my heart was beating twice as fast and so loud I could hear the echo in my ears. No one was there and both fear and confusion took over my mind, making me run fast to the bus stop. Once there, I started breathing again, trying to calm down and convince myself, that it was perfectly safe here, with people around.

The bus came few minutes later and for the first time today I was actually happy to be on my way home. I glanced through the window just for a second, but that was enough for me to get my eyes focused on a man outside. He was standing only few steps away from my window, looking at me and grinning widely. Dizzying spiral of shock travelled all the way up from my toes to the roots of my hair. The look he gave me was so terrifying, I couldn't look away and only when the bus started moving I could think, move or breathe again.

The first thought on my mind was to call Jill, just because I needed to talk with someone right that moment; it always made me feel better. I dialed her number and after few beeps she picked up.

"You're talking to Jill" I heard her voice as well as people talking and laughing in the background.

"I think someone's following me" I managed to say and started tearing up.

"Kat? What's happening?" Her voice changed to worried in a matter of a second. "Where are you? You want me to come and get you?"

"I'm in the bus on my way home, Jill" I said, my voice still trembling, but I felt safer when talking to her. "It's ok now; I just needed to talk to someone. Don't worry."

"Were you at work all this time? Tell me what happened. With details"

"Yes, I left less than ten minutes ago. I thought that someone's following me, I heard footsteps and everything, but whenever I checked, there was nothing. I got into the bus and then saw him looking at me through the window" I shivered, remembering that wide grin and terrifying gaze. "It was the same guy from the coffee shop, Jill."

"Holly fuck" Jill managed to say after a moment "Well, turns out he wasn't your next boyfriend after all." She giggled foolishly and that made me feel a little bit more at ease.

"Look, Josh will be away for the whole weekend. You have any plans?" I decided not to talk about that incident anymore.

"I definitely see tequila and silly girls' movies coming up" She laughed. "Look, be safe and I'll see you tomorrow. I'm at Daniel's office party right now"

"Sounds good" I said, smiling to myself "See you tomorrow and give some love to Dan from me."

"Will do!"

I felt at ease only when I was back at my apartment, with doors locked and a mug of tea in my hands. I never was a person who can be scared easily, but something about tonight just didn't seem quite right. I couldn't get his expression out of my head, there was something else behind that gaze, just what exactly? Longing? Interest? Loneliness? This realization made me feel more curious than scared, my emotions were boiling, thoughts coming one after the other, so many questions I wanted answered.

I sat there motionless, until my tea got cold and my eyelids felt really heavy. In the end, there was nothing I could do, and so I went to the bedroom, where Josh was snoring loudly and slid under the covers. That moment I felt happy, having someone close, even if it was him. His skin felt warm and he radiated comfort, so I turned on my side and embraced him, adjusting my body to fit his and allowing myself the luxury of feeling safe and sleepy.

I started dozing off in no time, and the last thing I saw in my head before drowning in sleep were emerald green eyes gazing right into my soul.


	3. Chapter 3

_Chapter 3_

A thin beam of the sun falling right on my face through a little gap between the curtains woke me up. With my eyes still closed I enjoyed how comfortable my bed was and how well I was feeling. I heard Josh walking around in the kitchen, plates clattering and him humming silently. I stretched slowly, like a cat after a long nap, enjoying that feeling in my well rested muscles. Slowly, taking my time I opened my eyes and glanced at the clock. It was 8am and it was really surprising that I've slept for this long.

There were footsteps in a hallway and a moment later Josh pushed the doors really slowly, checking if I wasn't sleeping anymore.

"Good morning, Kat" he said walking towards the bed, bending down and placing the lightest kiss on my forehead. "I hope I didn't wake you up."

There was something so different about him. He smiled like a little child, radiating pure happiness as he stood there, looking at me.

"I had the best night ever" I purred, my voice still a little bit husky "Aren't you supposed to be at Carol's this weekend?"

"I'm leaving soon" he smiled and turned around walking slowly to the door. "Wait here a minute."

I had no intentions of leaving my bed yet anyway and now I was definitely curious, what was so different about this man. He came back moments later, bringing a tray with scrambled eggs, toast, coffee and orange juice. My jaw fell open as I positioned myself comfortably and he put it on my legs holding out today's newspaper too, still smiling and waiting for my approval

"Wow, Josh" I managed to say, trying to pick my next words. "My morning couldn't be any better."

"And that's exactly what I was hoping for" he chuckled and checked his watch "Oh, I have to run now, Kat. Call you when I'm there?" He kissed me on the forehead again and after a second of hesitation, pressed his lips against mine so passionately, I was more than surprised.

"See you on Monday" I shouted when he was already out of the room, placing a finger on my lips and smiling. That was definitely astonishing, first the fact that I slept all night and then Josh's behavior. Not that I was complaining, off course.

The food smelled wonderfully and so I started eating, savoring every bit and enjoying the moment. Once it was finished, I remembered the newspaper lying beside me. They had a bonus magazine-type publication on Saturdays that featured random shots of London, usually night-life and street fashion with some rare shots of city itself. I loved that magazine and I would always go through it ever since I moved here. Slowly sipping my coffee I turned page after page, not really focused on what was there.

Suddenly I stopped; my body froze as I stumbled upon a picture of a man. The man. He was staring at me from the picture the same way as yesterday. I felt a lump in my throat and goose bumps all over my body. Same emerald green eyes focused on the camera and now looking at me. I turned the page so fast, little drops of coffee landed on the next picture and then I noticed him again; this time in the background, caught walking down the street. I started turning pages one after the other and he was in every picture always hidden somewhere in the background, but still visible enough for me to notice.

I jumped out of the bed, throwing the magazine across the room and hurrying to the kitchen. Once there I lit my cigarette and sat on the floor, focusing on smoking. _Inhale-exhale inhale-exhale _I kept repeating until most of my shock went away. It was crazy. It was crazy and impossible, and beyond any decent explanation. I felt like he wanted to be in my life and chose the way I'd never forget, crawling right into the darkest corners of my mind and haunting every step I took. The worst thing was, that there was nothing I could do. Not yet, anyway.

"Maybe I'm overreacting" I murmured to myself standing up and heading back towards the bedroom. "It's just a very creepy, insane coincidence".

...

I spent rest of the day inside, cleaning every corner of my apartment, with music playing so loud, I couldn't even hear my own thoughts. That was my thing – cleaning every time I felt nervous, scared, lost, bored, well, in general, just facing something I couldn't control. Jill called in the morning, cancelling our plans as her mother decided to pay a surprise visit, turning Daniel into a nervous ball of babble. That meant me, spending the weekend alone at a completely spotless and shiny apartment, afraid to even go outside.

I paced back and forth for hours, turning on the TV, just to stare at it blankly, picking up my book and reading the same page over and over again. It was madness, and I decided it's about time to stop ruining my perfectly good two days, obsessing over some freak incident. My fridge was almost empty, as we rarely cooked dinner at this house, giving my and Josh's days were spent at work. I made a long groceries' list and left for a local supermarket craving for some quality food and chocolate.

Once there, I spent no less than an hour, just going through every shelf, filling my basket with rice, meat, fresh fruits and coffee, feeling like a suburban housewife out for some groceries on a perfectly beautiful Saturday afternoon. Once done with it, I decided to take my time walking back home, admiring the colors of trees and a warm autumn breeze, playing with my hair. I felt totally at ease, remembering this morning and Josh's behavior, how kind and caring he was, and how stupid it was of me to blame him for my problems.

I was almost home, now thinking of a perfect dinner and a movie to watch when a man appeared right it front of me, emerging from thin air. It was so sudden and unexpected, that I almost bumped into him, raising my head with the same silly smile on my lips I had while thinking about Josh. It was wiped out of my face the same moment I saw his face, for the fourth time in the last two days. Since there were people around, I was pretty sure nothing will happen to me, though a faint feeling of fear was pumping through my veins, as we continued to stare at each other.

"Let me pass" I hissed through my clenched teeth, trying to act brave. Every cell in my body was forcing me to scream and run, but I couldn't give him the satisfaction.

"You're afraid" he finally said and his silky smooth voice made me shiver. "I wonder why?"

"What do you want from me?" I finally asked, though the first sentence that came into my mind wasn't this innocent.

"I am sure it is not me who wants something" he smiled and leaned closer, his hair brushing softly against my cheek as he whispered into my ear "Isn't that right, Katherine Nolan?"

"Leave me alone" I said moving away from him. I took a first step to the direction of my building when he caught my arm with a gentle, but tight grip. "Let me go, or I swear I will scream"

"You need me" he said, pulling me so close, I could hear his heart beating faintly "You crave for a change. Something or someone to make you breathe again, to free you from your poisonous life, the routine that is consuming your soul. I am Loki. Of Asgard. And I will make you mine."


	4. Chapter 4

_Chapter 4_

"Slow down, Kat. Breathe." I found myself crouching on the floor, realizing I was still holding keys in my hand so tight, one of them cut right trough the skin leaving a nasty bleeding wound on my palm. "I'll be there in fifteen minutes."

It took me some time to realize, that she already hung up and I was still sitting there listening to a beeping signal. My palm was hurting a lot and it brought me back to reality as I stood up slowly and went to the bathroom, looking for a bandage. My eyes were unfocussed, as my mind was still replaying the encounter that made me feel like this. I shivered remembering his words. _I am Loki. Of Asgard. And I will make you mine._

_ I will make you mine_…There was some kind of power in his voice, something that made me believe his intentions were real, that sooner or later he will make me... His. Whatever it meant. He was gone a second after saying that, just vanishing and leaving me to stand in a middle of the street, gasping for air, hoping all of it was just a bad dream. I couldn't believe that was happening, that someone was after me, someone magical and powerful, and scary. Things like these exist only in movies, or books, or myths, but not in real world, not in my life.

I called Jill as soon as I got back to my apartment, gathering all the strength and sanity I still had. There was no one else I could tell, who would believe me? Police? Josh? I would be locked up in a loony bin if anyone heard my story about invisible man, that can vanish into a thin air and proclaims being Loki, who, as far as I remembered from school, was some God from Norse myths.

I was still standing in the bathroom, my hand bleeding, when I heard someone knock on the door. My brain blocked the fact, that Jill was coming and all I felt at that moment was fear, slowly making its way down my body, focusing on my knees as they gave in and I stumbled hitting them hard on bathroom tiles.

"Kat, it's me," I heard her voice after a minute "It's Jill."

I was in control of my body again, though still feeling stiff I took my time walking to the door. Jill stepped inside as soon as I opened, locking it behind her and taking hold of my shoulders.

"Now tell me everything" she said and pushed me towards the bedroom. I couldn't talk just yet and when we sat on my bed I felt like crying. My emotions were a mess, there were so many things on mind, so many things I wanted to talk about that it was overwhelming and crazy. I took my time, breathing slowly, looking at the floor.

"I'm afraid, Jill" I started, meeting her worried eyes "But more than that, I'm curious."

"Curious of what, exactly?"

"That's the problem – I'm not sure" I shrugged and laughed a little "I think I'm going crazy. I know I should be afraid and worried, but despite that, I find this all situation… Alluring"

She seemed taken aback by my words and now her worry was even more visible. I had a pretty good idea she thought I was crazy too.

"Alluring? Kat, there's nothing _alluring _about it. You should go to police."

"And tell them what, Jill?" I jumped up and started pacing around, feeling both furious and ashamed "He's no ordinary stalker. There's… Something different about him. Just look at this". I grabbed the magazine that was now on my table and threw it on the bed. "He is in every single picture here."

"Where?" I heard her voice after a moment of flipping through the pages.

"Oh for God's sake, Jill" I ripped the magazine from her arms and looked at it. She was right he wasn't there. I checked every single picture twice just to make sure that there was nothing unusual about it.

"Kat…" she started slowly, choosing the right words, trying not to hurt me "Are you sure you're not overthinking? I mean… Look, you didn't get enough sleep in past few weeks, maybe your mind is just exaggerating this?"

"Are you saying that I'm crazy?" I hissed furiously, looking at her face. I couldn't believe, that my best friend would actually think this.

"Don't change my words. I believe that there is someone after you for whatever reasons, but he's not some fictional God from stories, Kat. You have to go to police."

I sat back on the bed, burying my face in my hands. Was I crazy? Was I seeing things? But it all seemed so real, too real, how could this be just an illusion?

"Jill, can you leave, please?" I murmured silently, ashamed of saying this. But I needed time for myself, time to think and get all my thoughts straight. I couldn't stand the fact, that she doubted me.

I heard her exhaling loudly, a sound of irritation, but she didn't say anything, just stood up and left. There was a loud slam on the door and I was alone.

Who was he? Who was Loki? I knew very little of Norse myths, and so I had to look into it deeper. I grabbed my laptop and sat on the floor, typing "Loki" in a search field.

„In Norse mythology, Loki is a god or jötunn (or both)," I started reading out loud, going through some pages I found. „He is a shape shifter, God of mischief. As a boy Loki began studying the arts of sorcery, for which he had a natural affinity. Well, isn't that just fucking amazing?"

I closed my laptop and sent it sliding across the floor cursing at myself for believing in gods and magic, for diving head first into this puddle of craziness and dismissing my friends because they had doubts about it. Off course they had doubts, it was plain idiotic.

There was only one real thing. One thing I was sure about – I had to meet him again.


	5. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Days were passing by slowly, crawling like monsters from under the bed, taking away every precious thing I've ever had. Me and Jill weren't talking anymore, as my emotions reached the peak and I would always scream at her for every little thing. It hurt me as much as it did her, but it seemed like I wasn't responsible for my own actions anymore. Deep deep inside I hoped she understood me at least a little bit and that I didn't lose my best friend for forever.

Things between Josh and me got even worse. We were fighting all the time; every minute spent together was a battle that none of us wanted to end. I missed the days when we wouldn't even talk, I missed the days when I was alone.

I didn't know what was happening to me, what was wrong with my life. Everything just started slipping through my fingers as I stood there and watched my little universe collapse. I lacked sleep and human interaction, I needed love and safety, but it wasn't here, not anymore. So I would drink myself to sleep every night, thinking of how much I would like to end it all. It was too much for me, for the girl who always had a decent, boring life. I wasn't ready for this change, I wasn't ready, I didn't have the strength, and most importantly, I didn't want to do this anymore.

…

"Your fucking phone's ringing" I heard Josh's voice coming from the bedroom, as I was sitting in the kitchen again with yet another bottle of wine.

It was late already and that phone woke Josh up. I knew that another fight was coming as I made my way to the bedroom, slowly, trying to walk and think straight. It wasn't ringing anymore, but Josh was wide awake, sitting in the bed with a table lamp on. I saw his expression and I frowned a little bit, trying to avoid as much craziness as possible.

"Sorry." I murmured under my breath, picking the phone up and rushing back to the door.

"Are you drunk again?" I could hear hate in his voice. Hate and disgust, both because of me, me who stood there praying that this would be over soon.

"I'm never drunk, Josh," I said looking at him "But yes, I had a glass of wine."

"What is wrong with you, Kat? It's like I don't even know you anymore."

"Well, maybe you don't" I spat out through my clenched teeth. I was emotional, and vulnerable, and so so tired. "And maybe you never did, Josh. And I think it's for the best if we just end it. Right here and right now."

He looked at me and that silly smile appeared on his lips, though the eyes stayed cold and full of hate. He moved slowly, letting his both feet on the floor, standing up and taking few steps until his face was inches from mine.

"I was waiting for this, Kat. When will you break and push me away just the way you did with so many of your other… Boyfriends" He spat the last word out, glaring at me like a madman.

That moment I was afraid of him, my palms started sweating. Maybe because I had too much wine, or I just couldn't stand the man, but the fear slowly started turning to fury, as I stood there, when he blamed me for every problem we ever had, telling me he actually _expected_ this, as all of it was my fault.

"Get the fuck out, Josh," I hissed at him, clenching my fists so tight, my fingernails cut through the skin. "You're one pathetic excuse of a man, and don't you even dare blaming me for everything, you selfish, repulsive, pitiful human being."

Josh was staring at me, completely silent now, his face distorted by anger with a slight shade of confusion. I was never like this, I never talked back or argue with him, and definitely never insulted him this way. I was always that little quiet girl, who nodded every time he had any complaints and tried doing her best to work it out. But not today, not anymore…

We stood like this just for a little bit, just staring at each other, both waiting for the other one to start.

"You…" Josh finally opened his mouth, his cheeks flushing bright red "Don't you dare talk like this to me again."

"Fuck you, Josh" I waved my hand at him and turned around to leave the room but he caught my wrist, and as I turned around to throw another tantrum, his fist hit my face with such strength, blood started filling my mouth. I felt pain on my lips, metallic taste in my mouth made me nauseated and I just stood there shocked to my very core as he grabbed my hair and pulled me closer.

"You're fucking worthless. And you know very well, you've deserved it." he hissed at me smiling again, feeling proud of what he did, as in his small mind he always wanted to stand up to someone at least once in his life.

I couldn't talk, though I wanted so much. I felt blood coming from my mouth, trailing down my chin as he still looked at me. It lasted only for a moment, maybe the realization of what he just did hit Josh as he slowly let me go, cursing silently grabbed his clothes and ran to the door, slamming it loudly behind him.

I stood there only for a moment as my knees gave in and I found myself kneeling in the middle of our room, sobbing, wiping tears and blood from my face. I heard a loud shriek full of desperation and anger, filling the room, echoing from the walls, making me cover my ears, but it was still ringing in my head. It took me some time to realize I was the one screaming as blood was still gushing from my mouth. I tried to let everything go, all the pain, every emotion, as I screamed and screamed, till there was no air left in my lungs anymore and everything slowly turned black.


	6. Chapter 6

_Chapter 6_

I found myself awake, lying in a bed listening to soft voices whisper around me. It took some time to remember everything that had happened but I was pretty sure I didn't make it to the bed and most definitely no one could be in my apartment. Once the realization, that something was really wrong hit me, I sat up, knocking off some bottles that were standing on a table next to the bed, looking around the room that wasn't mine.

"My lady, you should rest more," I heard a voice and saw a young girl rushing to my bed, placing her hands on my shoulders and softly forcing me to lie down "The medicine might make you feel light-headed."

"Where am I?" I whispered frowning as every word brought sharp pain to my jaw.

"Try not to talk, my lady," she smiled and the warmth in her eyes made me feel a little bit at ease "You are in Asgard, prince Loki brought you here last night."

Asgard? Prince Loki? I knew that the sane thing to do was get afraid or concerned, but I just couldn't. Whether it was the medicine or because I just didn't care anymore, my mind was free of worry, there was only one question I wanted answered…

"Why?" I whispered through my clenched teeth, afraid to move my jaw even a little bit.

"You were severely injured, my lady. We were treating you all night, but it might take some time for you to recover."

"Leave us." I heard Loki's ice cold voice coming from the doorway. Apparently I wasn't the only one who was uncomfortable being around him; the girl almost jumped after hearing his voice and left after taking a bow, her eyes fixed on the floor the entire time.

He stood there, leaning against the wall, his eyes fixed on mine. I tried to find any kind of emotion on his face, but it was impossible; he either was really good at hiding it, or simply didn't have any. The silence and tension was unbearable, I just needed more time to get used to the fact, how painful it will be to break it.

"You should not talk," he said like he knew what was I about to do "It is healing fast, but we can not take the pain away completely."

"That is not my main concern at this moment," I managed to say, sitting up, trying not to show how much it actually hurt. "Why did you bring me here?"

My body tensed up when I saw him walking towards the bed, smiling mischievously his eyes steady on mine. I didn't move or blink, or even breathe when he sat on the bed, leaning so close I could feel his icy breath on my skin.

"You, people, have all these irrelevant questions," he murmured still smiling "I find it… Amusing."

"I'm glad…" I opened my mouth again, but this time the pain was unbearable and so I frowned and closed my eyes just to pull myself together again.

"I am truly sorry about the pain" He said and I felt his fingers touching my jaw lightly. Whether because his hands were so cold or I relaxed my muscles a bit, the pain got tolerable and I opened my eyes determined to get the answer I was looking for.

"Why?" I whispered again looking at him, trying to make him realize that he couldn't get away with this.

His smile vanished and I saw a spark of irritation in his eyes right before he stood up abruptly now facing a wall. This all situation was so frustrating I couldn't help myself, but wish it could end soon; I felt annoyed by his childish behavior, avoiding the questions, trying to keep that mysterious aura around him. Was it really so hard to answer the simplest question I had? If so, there were some problems coming along the way, since I had more questions than this one.

"Do not question my intensions mortal." He hissed, still not facing me.

"Then don't get mixed up in my life" I said, feeling really sick of all this.

I knew I had to keep my mouth shut, to be more careful around him. But I just couldn't, I was so sick of all this drama, and what happened to me since the day I laid my eyes on him. I still hoped all of it was just a bad dream and then soon I will wake up next to snoring Josh, in my little apartment, ready to go to work, meet Jill and just keep on moving forward no matter how tiresome it was.

"You have some nerve" I heard him say and my trail of thoughts were interrupted, bringing me back to the reality I hated so much. "You should kneel before me, but instead you talk back like my equal."

I decided to keep my mouth shut. Not because I felt power in his voice, or that it made me respect him. There simply was no way I could give him the satisfaction of trying to show his authority over me in any way. So I just sat there, staring at the wall completely silent, waiting for him to make his next move.

After what felt like an eternity, he turned around and my eyes met his, completely emotionless, examining each other.

"You are free to leave in the evening. But we will meet again, Katherine."

He turned around and left, leaving me alone with all the questions I never had the chance to say out loud.

…

Just like Loki said, I was home before midnight, my jaw just a little bit sore, with no trace that something has happened to my face. Off course, I was happy about it, but now there was no chance I could charge Josh with assault and have him locked up at least for a while. I was still afraid he took the keys before leaving and that he might come back.

Though I rested all day, my body felt really weak and I decided not to trouble myself with any of this, at least not tonight. I slid under the covers, not even bothering to change into my nightgown and curled up, still hoping that I will wake up tomorrow as if nothing ever happened.


End file.
